The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1887-07-09

burning and sinking American vessels
on the coast Of Brazil, and was still one
Of her company when she ran across the
Atlantic to Brest, in August, 1868. At
that great French naval station he was
among that portion of the Florids's COM
plement detached to go to England to
help in manning the two huge and
formidable armor plated ships of war
which the Laird 6rm had nearly com
pleted at their Birkeohead dock yards
for the southern confedsracy. The Brit
ish government seized the vessels before
they could sail and the confederate
scamen we're dispersed. Turner had
wesried of naval service and shipped on
q merchantmen for New York. Thence
he wandered up among the Massachusetts,
whalers, and at New Bedford signed arti-
eles for the bark Wsvcrly, bound for a
three years. cruise into the North Pacific
aud Arctic ocean.
At the outbreak of the war the younger
brother, Francis Turner, had enlisted IN
q Louisiana artillery regiment, some Of
the companies of which, in the deficiency
of trained seamen, we're detailed as gun
ners on the confederate gunbOats that
opposed Farragut's passage up to New
Orleans. He was one of the few who es-
capped capture when the squadron was
captured or destroyed, and accompanying
Lieutenant Bakcn and some other officers
he evaded the federal pickets on the east
side of the Mississippi and reached Mo-
bile.
Not desiring to be returned to his regi-
ment, he concealed his identity by assum
ing the name of Frederick johnson, and
roamed about the country until he reach
cd Fernandina, ON the Florida coast.
After working awhile with the fishermen
there, he professed to An officer Of a
United States ship that had cast anchor
| in the river to be loyalist. and was re
cruited as q landsman in the crew.
Within three months the vessel was
ordered to the Philadelphia navy yard
for repairs, and in that port he deserted.
His next berth was on al Italian craft
sailing for the Mediterranean from New
York, and after . year or more in the
merchant service he was in Liverpool in
September, 1854, when Captain Bullock,
the naval agent of the Confederate States,
had his skirmishcrs out gathering in
every good seaman who could bc pcrsua-
ded to sign articles for voyage in the
Sea King to Singapore aud beyond. Tur-
ner signed the articles with correct
suspicion, derived from his former *
perience in the confederate service
that the Sea King was to bc Transformed
in neutral waters into rebel cruiser. he
still kept his assumed name OF Johnson
and when the steamer was transferred t.
the confederate dag Of the lonely islant
Of Las Desertas, one of the Madeiras, III
was the first man Of the ostensibly Brit
ish crew to step forward at the summons
of CAPTAIN Wsddell and enroll his name
for service on the confederate man-of
var Shenandoah. Waddeli issued to hin
q warrant as petty Office, and he stoot
~ high Is any man on board the sh'l
outside the wardroom and cabin.
!, The Shenandoah ran down to Austria
lia. and thence steamed up tile Pacific T.
the high northern latitudes. She in
, flicted more damage to the commerce o
the United States than any confederat
cruiser, except the Alabama, and In tn
bo.t p.rties that set FIRE to her man.
nr;zes Francis Turner Was . conspiciou
figure. Toward the end of May, 1855
she was north of the Aleutian islands an
had struck some of the New Eng!an'
vhalers who were working into tn
Ohkotsk sea and the Arctic ocean.
l. Having been severed from communi
cation with either the Asiatic or Ameri
> can continent for three months, Captain
w.ddell knew nothing of the surrende
Of Lees army or the occupation OF Rich
mopd by the Union army, and so con
tinued his career of devastation.
On June 2s, 1865, coming out OF Bch'
iue's straits, the Shenandoah capture
and burned eight American whal'n
.h;ns. That far northern sea and II
floating fields of ice were illuminated b
the flames of the immense confisgrat'o'
for the prizes had been closely hudd'e
. and their oil-satursted hulls' burns
= aercely, while their spars and r'sg'o
made . 6ery trsosry against the du
;. . background of the Arctic sky.
" One Of The doomed ships was the Ne
Bedford waverly, and the boat comm'
, .;oaed to take the prisoner from her sn
. 10 apply the torch vas in command
Francis Turner.
:. TIE boat wss loaded almost down
;, the supwh whales, aud in returning throoa
;. the hsssy ssa to the Shenandoah pm
ooer went overheard in one OF Il
. ,.rchss that che made. Coxsws'n Tu
~, hauled him over the stern and
1h., came fsoe 10 facs the rescued mi
a,cd ., isqusit,vs hook sPoa the face